There have been many instances where persons who are hard of hearing are startled or otherwise taken unawares of a possibly dangerous or hazardous impending happening in their proximity which, if an alarm be given to the hard of hearing, could prevent injury and/or other disastrous consequences. Very frequently, such happenings or events are preceded by a loud sound, such as an automobile horn, fire, police and emergency sirens, burglar alarms, smoke alarms, door bells, barking dogs. The object of the present invention is to provide a simplified low cost device which is adaptable to provide an early warning to persons hard of hearing and make them aware of impending, possibly disastrous happenings in their proximity. The device of the present invention comprises a battery powered unit capable of receiving signals of frequencies usually associated with such sounds which would be cause for alarm for the user. The signalling device alerts the user to the need to be aware of an impending happening in his proximity and it can be adapted for driving many kinds of signalling or inductor devices. In the first case, a small lamp or light-emitting diode can be attached to the spectacle frames or temple piece for the user who wears "glasses". A microphone or other sound transducer is used for detecting the sound made by the impending happening, to produce an electrical signal which is amplified, filtered and the signal then used to pulsatingly actuate a lamp such as a light-emitting diode or to activate a tactile signalling system such as a small vibrator worn on the ear adjacent the mastoid bone of the user or on his wrist. The same unit can also advantageously be used to act as a night alarm for sensing a smoke detector and/or burglar alarm and used to flash a table lamp, for example, on and off to arouse the sleeping hard of hearing person.
The above and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become more apparent when considered with the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein: